Reunited
by Tori9226
Summary: The well is sealed after Naraku's defeat, and Kagome doesn't think she'll ever see Inuyasha again. Until there is a knock at her door.
1. Chapter 1

Kagome stared at the well in disbelief.

Three and a half years she had been traveling back and forth between her time and the Feudal Era. Three and a half years, the well had never sealed her out.

Until now.

No matter how many times she jumped, her feet collided with dirt in her time. The blue glow never enveloped her. She never saw blue skies overhead, or smelled the forest she had come to love.

 _NO! This can't be happening!_

They had just completed the jewel. Naraku was dead. Kohaku was alive. Everybody was _happy_. Kagome was going home, to share the news with her family. Her mission was complete, her friends were safe. She left the Jewel in Inuyasha's care, knowing he could protect it better than anybody. She trusted him. He promised to remain a half demon for her, and she knew he would. She was only supposed to be gone for two days. She was going to tell her mother she wanted to live in the Feudal Era. She was going to spend her life with Inuyasha.

But she couldn't get back.

After everything – the well had sealed. After what seemed like her 100th try, she gave up. She collapsed beside the well. Her mother found here there two hours later, still sobbing. She hated herself. _The jewel_ , she thought. _That's why I can't get back_.

But that couldn't be true. She'd traveled home without it before. And Inuyasha had been able to get to her without it. _Is it because we completed the jewel?_ The confusion was only hurting more. Her mother helped her back to her room, where Kagome collapsed onto her bed. Mrs. Higurashi waited patiently, as her daughter explained what happened between sobs. Once Kagome's crying subsided, Mrs. Higurashi ran her daughter a bath.

"Come on dear," she said sadly. "You need to calm down. This will help."

Kagome soaked for an hour, sobs still racking her body every few minutes. Kagome barely registered what happened over the next couple of days. She had barely finished school the year before, so she didn't have work to focus on. She spent most of her time sitting by the Sacred Tree, reading through her journals. Her mother urged her to stop, but Kagome refused. The journals contained every memory she had of the Feudal Era. She couldn't let them go.

A week later, after reading through her memories nearly a dozen times, her mother appeared in the door of her room. She was trying to hide a look of shock, but Kagome barely noticed.

"I'm running to the store with your Grandfather before Souta returns from school," her voice shook. "Do you need anything?"

Kagome shook her head, laying back on her bed. She knew she would have to snap out of this sooner rather than later, but she wasn't ready. She heard her mother head backdown stairs, speaking with who she assumed was her grandfather. Moments later, she heard the door close and then, silence.

Until there was a knock at her door.

Her Fuedal Era instincts kicked in. Nobody was supposed to be in the house. _I wish I had my weapon – but wait, why would an intruder knock?_

Carefully, she padded over to the door. She opened it slowly – and nearly fainted.

Standing before her was Inuyasha. He looked different than his Feudal Era self. He wore modern clothes, but the color scheme hadn't changed much. He wore black jeans, with black sneakers. A red button down was left open, a white t-shirt underneath. His hair was still long but normal standards, but significantly shorter than it had been 500 years ago. It was now shaggy, about as long as Miroku's had been all those years ago. It was even held back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His white ears were still perched on top of his head. He appeared slightly older now, maybe mid-20's rather than late teens.

"Kagome," his voice was barely a whisper.

"Inu … yasha?" her voice cracked. "What … how – how is this …?"

She couldn't finish her thought. It had been two weeks since she left his time. Two weeks since she realized she would never see the man she loved again.

"Kagome, maybe you should sit down."

Inuyasha gently guided her back to her bed, taking a seat opposite her in her desk chair. He wheeled it closer to her, so their knees were just millimeters away from touching.

"Kagome I know this is probably a shock – "

She couldn't answer that. She was still staring at him, unsure of what to say or feel.

"The Bone Eaters Well sealed behind you," he explained. "It took us a while to figure it out, but Naraku had hired a Dark Priestess to put a curse on it. It would only work one more time after his death. He must've figured out that you'd been using it to get away, somehow."

She didn't say a word as he continued. The curse was Naraku's final bit of revenge, should he fail to collect the jewel. It would separate his two greatest enemies. No matter what Inuyasha did, he couldn't break the spell. Nobody could. Years passed by, and nothing changed. The well refused to open.

Finally, Inuyasha had an idea.

He remembered Kagome telling him stories from her time. She had told him how demons were no longer part of her world. Somehow, they had vanished over time. Or at least, so she assumed. Inuyasha had of course smelled faint traces of them when he visited her time. He just never told her. He knew the demons were in hiding for a reason.

Inuyasha decided to finally make a wish on the jewel. He wished for demons and humans to live peacefully together, in the future. She hadn't noticed the changes yet, because she hadn't left home. Her family likely didn't notice anything strange, as it was now considered normal for demons and humans to mingle. Inuyasha suspected Kagome's time traveling kept her memories from being affected by his wish.

"I figured it was my best chance at seeing you again," he finished, reaching up to brush away the tears streaming down her cheek. "I'm so sorry Kagome. I thought I timed it better. I didn't realize it's already been two weeks since the Well sealed. I wanted to come to you sooner."

"You're apologizing?" she finally found her voice.

"Of course," he looked confused.

"It's only been two weeks for me," she breathed. "You've been locked out for 500 years."

He couldn't answer that. He only nodded, while she struggled to collect her thoughts.

"How … how did you stay away for so long?"

"Not easily," he chuckled. "Luckily, I remembered some of the things you told me, so I knew what time period you came from. Once the world started to modernize, I made sure to stay in other parts of the country. It helped keep the temptation at bay. Sometimes."

"But –"

"As the time for your traveling got closer, I moved back to this area. That was about a year ago. Since then I've been sticking to the shadows. It's easy to follow the gossip from your friends. They aren't exactly quiet when they're out in the city."

She smiled at that.

"I was able to figure out when you were out 'sick' from school. And depending on how long you were 'sick' I could almost figure out what you were off doing. Almost. Sometimes it was trickier than others. It got easier to come closer after you were out of school. Neither of us were here much after that."

"So all these years … you've been waiting?"

"Of course," he looked at her like she was crazy. "Kagome I meant what I said to you. I love you, and I wasn't about to spend my life with anybody else."

Something finally snapped inside Kagome, and she jumped forward into his arms. He seemed taken aback, but caught up after a couple of heartbeats. He adjusted her on her lap, so her legs were off to one side of him, his arms wrapped around her waist. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, her face buried in his chest. He nuzzled her neck, breathing in her scent for the first time in 500 years.

"Kagome," he whispered against her neck. "I'm so sorry to cause you this much pain. I had to make sure the well had sealed before seeing you again."

"Stop apologizing you idiot," her breathing finally steadied a bit. "I'm not the one who's been waiting five centuries."

He leaned back and hooked a finger under her chin, gently forcing her to meet his eyes.

"That doesn't make me any less sorry," he said softly. "I know how I felt waiting – I didn't intend on making you feel that way."

Inuyasha closed the distance between them, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. He pulled away after a moment, resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you too," Kagome whispered. "I'm sorry it's been so long since I could tell you that."

"Don't you dare apologize," he growled softly. "This was Naraku's doing."

It was her turn to kiss him, but she wasn't so gently. She gripped the front of his shirt like her life depended on it. One of his hands gripped her waist while the other traveled up her back and neck, his fingers tangling in her hair. Her name tumbled from his lips between kisses.

"Gods, Kagome I missed you so much," he breathed, trailing kisses across her cheek and down to her collarbone.

"I've missed you too," she leaned back into his chest as his kisses slowed down.

They remained silent for a few moments, before Kagome sat up to look at Inuyasha.

"So what happened? After the well sealed?"

He smiled, and brushed the hair from her eyes. Miroku and Sango finally married, he explained. They had six children: four girls, and two boys. Their latest descendants now lived not too far from Tokyo. Yes, he would take her to meet them soon. He kept in touch with them throughout the years, so they were very familiar with their family's history. They even watched over Kirara until she died about 100 years ago. Kaede died about ten years after the well was closed off, and was laid to rest by her sister.

"And Shippou?" Kagome asked, making Inuyasha chuckle.

"Pestering me non-stop to see you again."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. She never thought she'd see her adoptive son again.

"He agreed to give me one day to see you first, and I had to fight for that."

"Where has he been? Given how little you've aged he can't be that much older?"

"Well, demon aging works differently than you might know. Age progression slows when you reach your late teens, like I was when you met me. Helps us blend in with the world a bit easier. He looks about your age when you first came through the well."

"Being fifteen for decades? That can't be fun, especially in this time."

"He has already done school a few times, but luckily now – demons are expected to be through with school at a fairly young age. He'll tell you his full story when you see him tomorrow. Just ignore the parts about me picking on him."

"Of course," Kagome laughed for the first time in weeks. Then something finally clicked in her head. "Did my mother see you, before she left?"

"Yes. She was about as surprised as you are. I assured her it was me, I just needed to speak with you alone first. She offered to leave, and I promised the full story when she returned."

Inuyasha shifted his arms, picking Kagome up as he stood. She kept her arms wrapped around his neck even as he set her down on her feet. He placed a hand on her cheek, pulling her in for another kiss. His other hand moved to her lower back, pulling her body against his.

"Come on," he said against her lips. "I highly doubt your mother actually went to the store. She'll be back soon, and I have a lot to explain."

Kagome smiled, placing one more lingering kiss on his lips.

"And first thing in the morning, I have to take you to Shippou or I'll never hear the end of it."

* * *

 **I know my time travel logic isn't that solid, but it's a fairy tale so please let that one slide : )**


	2. Chapter 2

Mrs. Higurashi actually did go shopping, giving Kagome and Inuyasha more time to catch up. When she returned with Kagome's grandfather and Souta in tow – the questions started. _How? Why did things feel different all of a sudden? How long has this been going on?_

The couple did their best to explain, realizing Inuyasha's wish had a slightly different impact on Kagome's family. Somehow, they remembered both timelines: the one before Inuyasha's wish, and the one where demons and humans lived in harmony. Once everybody was caught up, Mrs. Higurashi made dinner (with extra ramen for Inuyasha, of course). After helping clean up, Kagome and Inuyasha headed outside to watch the sunset.

"500 years," Kagome breathed as she sat beside Inuyasha under the Sacred Tree. "I can't believe you've been waiting all this time. You and Shippou."

"Patience is one thing the pup never really learned," Inuyasha smirked, kissing the top of Kagome's head.

"Well definitely not, since I spent the last five centuries with you."

Kagome twisted to see a young man walking toward them. He appeared to be a few years older than her brother, with light brown hair cut in a short, modern style. He wore blue jeans, with a plain white t-shirt. The only way you could tell he wasn't human was his pointed ears.

"Couldn't even wait until morning, could you, runt?" Inuyasha groaned.

"Shippou?" Kagome's voice was barely a whisper.

He didn't respond; instead he opened his arms. Kagome jumped up and ran to him, nearly knocking him over.

"Hi Kagome," he laughed. "It's been a while. And don't call me runt, Inuyasha. I'm just as tall as you now. Have been for a long time."

"Still a runt," Inuyasha grumbled as he got up to stand beside them.

"Shippou I'm so sorry –"

"Don't even start Kagome," Shippou cut her off. "This was Naraku's doing, not yours. The bastard got what he deserved, in the end."

Kagome finally loosened her grip on Shippou to get a good look at him. She laughed.

"Two weeks ago, you could fit on my shoulder. Now, you're taller than me!"

"Has it really been two weeks since the Well sealed? Inuyasha, you suck at guessing the time."

"Thanks for the reminder, kid."

"No problem," Shippou draped an arm across Kagome's shoulders. "So this is where you kept disappearing to all those years ago? I don't blame you. This era is pretty convenient. Also, school? Now idea how in the hell you managed to balance that with us. You are incredible."

"You were easy to handle," she laughed. "It's Inuyasha who was the handful."

He just huffed in response, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her back to his side. Shippou let her go with a grin.

"Have you told her about Sesshomaru yet?"

"He's still around?" Kagome looked up at Inuyasha.

"I was going to before you interrupted us 12 hours earlier than we agreed."

"I gave you enough time to get caught up," Shippou pointed out. "I've been waiting to see her just as long as you have."

"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha sighed. "I know. No, I hadn't told her about my lovely half-brother who happens to own half of Tokyo."

"What?" Kagome's jaw nearly hit the ground.

"He got into business big time a few decades ago," Shippou explained. "Even let us get in on some of the action."

"You three … worked together?"

"He and I finally smoothed things over a couple hundred years after you left," Inuyasha filled her in. "He's still an asshole, but we can at least tolerate each other enough to do business. We've done quite well, actually."

"Sounds like it," Kagome's brain was still trying to catch up. "But if he owns so much – how have I not noticed it?"

"Like I said, I think your time traveling kept your memories from being affected by the wish."

"You have a lot to catch up on," Shippou chuckled.

Inuyasha gently guided Kagome back to the Sacred Tree. He sat with his back against the trunk, while she leaned against his chest. Shippou sat across from them.

"So what have you two been doing all these years," Kagome finally asked.

"Traveling, mostly," Shippou explained. "Inuyasha said we couldn't spend too much time here after you were born. It would be too hard not to check in on you. Before that, we worked with Sesshomaru to help develop the city, as well as other larger cities across the country."

"For a long time, we stayed close to Miroku and Sango's family," Inuyasha chimed in. "Once the world was slightly less dangerous, we ventured out more. We've been in just about every country in the world now. I tried school, but it didn't sit well with me. I made sure Shippou went, though. One of us needed some sort of education."

The sun had sunk completely below the horizon by the time the men had finished sharing their stories. They would have kept going, but Kagome's yawns began to cut them off. Shippou agreed to go home after the couple promised to drop by first thing in the morning. Inuyasha gently pulled Kagome to her feet, keeping an arm around her waist. He walked her up to her room, keeping her door open so Mrs. Higurashi wouldn't suspect any inappropriate behavior. They may both be adults, but Inuyasha didn't want to upset her mother.

"Will you stay with me?" Kagome asked quietly.

"Of course," he answered softly, placing a kiss on her cheek.

Kagome disappeared into the bathroom for her nighttime routine. When she came back to her room, Inuyasha had kicked off his shoes and was sitting at the head of her bed, his back against the wall. She crawled into bed as he pulled back the covers. She rested her head on his lap and he pulled the covers over her.

"I've missed you, Kagome," he carefully ran his clawed fingers through her hair.

"I've missed you too," she relaxed into his arms. "I love you."

"I love you too," he smiled. "Now, rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

And for the first time in two weeks, Kagome slept peacefully.

And for the first time in 500 years, Inuyasha felt completely happy.


End file.
